Bangladesh is set to hold its presidential election today, August 20, with two candidates in the race for the country’s 23rd president. Voting will take place in the session chamber of the National Parliament, from 2 pm to 5 pm. The president will not be elected directly by the public; instead, eligible members of Parliament will cast their votes. A total of 349 MPs are eligible to vote in the election.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has nominated its former Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for the presidency. The opposition 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has fielded Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmad, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The Election Commission declared the nominations of both candidates valid on August 16, clearing the way for the contest.
The election is significant because it will be the first contested presidential election in Bangladesh in 35 years. The last presidential election involving more than one candidate was held in 1991, when BNP’s Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badruddoza Chowdhury. Since then, presidents have generally been elected without a contest.
Mirza Fakhrul is widely expected to win because the ruling BNP has a clear majority in Parliament. Reports indicate that BNP holds 250 seats, giving the party enough support to secure the presidency. The 11-party alliance has decided to contest the election despite not having a parliamentary majority, saying that an election without competition would not reflect the spirit of democracy.
Under Bangladesh’s constitutional system, the president is elected indirectly by members of Parliament. The current election was scheduled after Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as president on July 24, following which Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as acting president. The Constitution requires an election to fill a vacant presidential post within 90 days of the vacancy.
The voting process will be conducted through an open ballot in Parliament. With two candidates remaining in the race, MPs will cast their votes during the scheduled three-hour period. The outcome is widely anticipated to favour Mirza Fakhrul, but the contest marks an important development in Bangladesh’s parliamentary politics as the country holds its first competitive presidential election since 1991.